Switch-stand.



, .PATENTED JAN; 13L01903. M. W. HIBBARD.

SWITCH STAND.v APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1o, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N o MODEL.

l Y m Miren STATES ATENT OFFICE.

MAURY W. HIBBARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FETTIBONE, MULLIKEN dt COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

swlTcH- sl-AN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,348, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed March 10. 19,02. Serial No. 97,612. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURY-W. HIBBARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improve mentin Switch-Stands, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of switch-stands employing a lever rotatable through a vertical arc to turn the vertical switch-stand shaft lon its axis for throwing the switch, the lever and shaft be ing connected together by mechanism suitable for the purpose. The mechanism commonly employed in the connection referred to consists of intermeshing toothed gears, one gear being provided in horizontal position on the shaft to mesh with a vertical gear on a horizontal spindle carrying the operatinglever.

The more important objects of my improvement are to dispense with toothed gears in this class of switch-stand, to provide as the means of connection between the operatinglever and spindle mechanism that may be self-locking at each end of the throw of the lever by establishing dead-centers, to enhance l the power of the operating-lever toward the ends of its throw upon the bar which connects the switch with the switch-stand, and to render the connecting mechanism between the operating-lever and shaft readily adjustable for the purpose of setting or that of adj usting at the switchsstand the throw of the switch.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a View in side elevation of a switchstand embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a broken plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a section taken at the line 3 on Fig. l and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a broken view of the switch-stand in vertical sectional elevation, showing the operat-A ing-leverv in partially-thrown position. Fig.

5 is a section taken at the line 5 on Fig. 3 and Viewed as indicated by the arrow; and Fig. 6 is a View like that presented by Fig. 3, but showing the mechanism at the opposite end of the throw of the operating-lever.

A is the casing, of any desired form, shown as open at one side and provided with a vertically-projecting tubular neck a, a tubular neck b, projecting horizontally from the side opposite that which is open, and horizontal flanges c c, at which it seats and is fastened upon the head-blocks B B. The target-shaft C is confined at its lower thicker cylindrical portion in the neck c, being held against vertical movement between a shoulder d, formed upon it to bear against the base of the neck, and a nut e, screwed upon it to bear against the upper end of the neck and additionally fastened by a pin f. On the upper end of the shaft is shown a semaphore-target D. At its lower end the shaft is expanded to form a head g, which is hollow to receive a journaling-pin h, and the head is bifurcated at its lower extremity to adapt it to clamp the pin h against movement by tightening the head g about it through the medium ofa bolt h', extending across the bifurcated portion. E isa pivotal arm, shown in its preferred yoke or branched form, with a cylindrical socket z' in its head portion k and eyes in its branches Z l at which to journal the arm E and to permit it to oscillate upon the projecting ends of the pin h, with one of which ends is or may be pivotally connected the inner end of the switch-bar or connecting-bar F, having its opposite end connected in any suitable manner with the switch. (Not shown.) G is a spindle journaled in the tubular neck b and'carrying on its outer projecting end the operating-level.' H, which may be weighted, as shown at I, though the weight is not a necessary feature. On its inner end the spindle G is provided with a crank G', lshown as of general gooseneck shape, with its journaling endmprojeeting into the socket r' of the arm E.

NearV the outer end of the operating-lever H itis shown to be provided, on one side, with a loop n to embrace vertical lugs n/ n2 on the head-blocks B at opposite ends of its throw, each lug containing an eye n3 to receive the bolt of a padlock (not shown) for locking the' IOO that in which it is shown in Fig. G. Thus turning the crank produces a compound movement of the arm E, consisting of a vertical oscillatory movement on its journals l upon the pin h, which during the first half of the turn of the crank is upward to an angle of about forty-five degrees according to the arrangement shown and during the remainder of the turn of the crank is downward to or toward a horizontal position and a movement of the arm (during these upward and downward movements) about the axis of the switchstand shaft C, whereby the latter is axially turned, since the turning of the journaling end m of the crank in the arm-socket t' by the resultant strains exerted against the ends of the pin /L at opposite sides of the shaft necessarily turns the latter. As the switch-rod F is connected with one end of the pin h, (though it may be otherwise connected eccentrically with the shaft,) the horizontal movement of the pin in the arc of a circle moves the switchrod lengthwise accordingly in one direction or the other, depending` upon the direction of throw of the operating-lever, and thus throws the switch.

The extent of throw of the switch may be set in the original installation of the switchstand by moving the pin 7i lengthwise in its bearings Z l to increase or decrease, according to requirement, the distance of the pivotal end of the switch-bar F from the axis of the shaft C, and after the switch and switchstand have been in operation for some time and parts have become worn, so that lost motion ensues, requiring adjustment to compensate therefor, this adjustment may likewise be readily accomplished by moving the pin 72, lengthwise in its bearings to increase the distance from the axis of the shaft C to the pivotal connection of the bar F. For the adjustment the bolt 7i' is preparatorily loosened to free the pin 7L from the clamping effect of the bifurcated head g.

If the throw of the operating-lever H is through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees, orto a horizontal position at each end, the arm E and the crank G will at each end of the throw be in engagement on a dead-center, whereby the mechanism will be locked, thus preventingr any accidental displacement of the switch, which is a desirable feature of my improvement. It is not a necessary feature, however, for my improvement may be used as an automatic switch-stand, permitting the switch to be thrown by engagement with one of the switch-rails of the iiange on a passing locomotive which, by causing the arm E and crank G to engage at an angle to each other at the ends of the throw of the op- (rating-lever, when, of course, the mechanism would not be self-locking. Then the throw of the stand will be regulated accordingly.

It will be seen that owing to the compound movement of the arm E the extent of rotary movement of the shaft C and of longitudinal movement of the bar F (which movements always bear lthe same ratio to each other) with relation to the throw of the operating-lever will be less toward the ends of the throw of the lever than during the remainder of its throw-that is to say, the lever in moving through about the last quarter of the arc toward either end of its throw will produce a relatively less extent of movement of the bar F than during the intermediate one-half of the arc. This is advantageous, since thereby greater power is exerted through the lever to insure close contact of the switch-rail with the adjacent main rail.

My improvement may to attain any or all of the enumerated advantages be embodied in various forms differing in detail from the foi-1n of embodiment illustrated and herein described. Idonot,therefore,limitmyinvention to the particular form of its embodiment set forth.

As shown and hereinbefore described, my improvement is applied to a switch-stand of the variety employing a vertical target-sh aft. However7 this shaft is not essential to the operation of my improvement; but the latter may be used with equal advantage with the variety of switch-stand which is unprovided with a target-shaft. In the latter case the pivotal arm E would be connected with a rotatable member journaled in the casing and corresponding with the lowerjournaled portion of the shaft C, with or without the head g and whether occupying a vertical or other position.

W'hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a rotatable member journaled in the casing of a switch-stand and having the switch-bar connected eccentrically with it, an arm pivotally connected with said member to extend at an angle thereto and permit its vertical oscillation, a spindle journaled to extend at an angle to said member, a crank on said spindle loosely engaging with said arm, and an operating-lever on said spindle, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a rotatable member journaled in the casing of a switch-stand and having the switch-bar connected eccentrically with it, an arm pivotally connected with said member to extend therefrom normally at a right angle and permit its vertical oscillation, a spindle journaled to extend at an angle to said member, a crank on the inner end of said spindle and loosely engaging with said arm at its outer end, and normally at a right angle to said member, whereby said arm and crank, in their said normal positions, engage each other upon a dead-center to lock the switch, and an operating-lever on said spindle, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a rotatable member journaled in the casing of a switch-stand, a pin on said member extending transversely thereof, an arm journaled on said pin to extend at an an gle to said member and oscillate vertically, a spindle journaled to extend at an angleto said member, a crank on the in-y ner end of said spindle loosely engaging with said arm at its free end, and au operatinglever on said spindle, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a rotatable member journaled in the casing of a switch-stand, a pin on said member extending' transversely thereof and lengthwise adjustable in its bearing, said pin being adapted for connection at one end with a switch-bar, an arm jonrnaled on said pin to extend at an angle to said member and oscillate vertically, a spindle journaled to extend at an angle to said member, a crank on the inner end of said spindle loosely engaging with said arm at its free end, and an operating-lever on said spindle, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a rotatable member journaled in the casing of a switch-stand, a pin on said member extending transversely thereof and lengthwise adjustable in its bearing, said pin being adapted for connection at one end with a switch-bar, a branched arm journaled at its branches upon the opposite projecting ends of said pin and embracing said member, a spindle journaled to 'extend at an angle to said member, a crank on the innerend ofsaid spindle looselyengaging with said arm at its free end, and an operatinglever on said spindle, substantially as described.

6. In a switch-stand, the combination with the casing of a vertical shaft journaled therein and having a bifurcated clamping-head at its lower end, a pin conned in said head, a branched arm journaled at its branches upon the opposite projecting ends of said pin and l embracing the shaft, a spindle journaled in the casing to extend at an angle to said shaft, a crank on the inner end of said spindle loosely engaging with said arm at its free end, and an operating-lever on said spindle, substantially as described.

7. In a switch-stand, the combination with the casing of a vertical shaft journal'ed therein, a pin on the lower end of said shaft extending transversely thereof, a branched arm journaled at its branches upon the opposite ends of said pin and having a socket in its free end, a spindle journaled in the casing to extend at an angle to said shaft, a crank on the inner end of said spindle and entering at its free end the socket in said arm, and an operating-lever on said spindle, substantially as described.

MAURY W. HIBBARD.,y

In presence of- ALBERT D. BACCI,

MACKENZIE. 

